Total Pageviews

Wednesday 5 December 2012

Polyamarous relations in gaming

There's a game coming out next year called 'The Last of Us', it's an apocalyptic romp that explores the decay of humanistic and moral responsibilities in a society that- Have you seen The Walking Dead?
It's like that.
Definitely like that.
Except a bacterial plague caused by plant spores instead of zombies.
Ok, up to speed? Grand.
It's a 3rd person, action/adventure genre piece by the team that created Uncharted, and it looks good. As in, really, really, really good. As in inane hyperbole good.
Also the last time I compare it to The Walking Dead.

I enjoyed the preview trailer a hell of a lot, as it was the type of movie 'I am legend' should have been, were it not for the fact the CGI budget was apparently $5 and a handful of shiny foil. Beautiful shots of overgrown, vegetation swallowed cities, and an absence of life matched only by a convention celebrating scrotal pain.
Then the Gameplay trailer was released, and I was sold. It looked absolutely terrific. *Cue a twaddling list of gameplay features and words such as 'context sensitive' and 'AI interaction'*
Suffice to say, I would rather like to play this game and experience it...and another addition to this rather lame sentence.
This hype and anticipation leads to a particular quagmire though.
It's for PS3.
I do not have a PS3.
I have never felt the need to get one, be it the ridiculous price tag, the whole 'install games' malarky or the lack of any 'console exclusives' that jump out at me.
I don't want to have to buy a PS3 just to play this game, and I know nobody who has a PS3 for me to leech off.
Apparently the equivalent of 'a kite or an abacus among my social group.
Is there any reason this game has to be a console exclusive? I can understand certain companies being first party, or games tailored for a specific console, but surely we're past the point where we have to marginalize game access, sales, and perpetuate the beleaguering and fucking tedious 'console war'.
Games like Call of Duty and Skyrim are phenomenally successful, in part to being cross platform releases, hoping to be available to as many people as possible. By making a game an 'exclusive', regardless of the positives and good will, you are effectively limiting how many people can experience your product, something most businesses would call 'BAD FOR BUSINESS YO.'

The Terrordome? That's just what we call the corporate retreat. Also *insert monotonous joke about Flava Flave taking 'minutes' at meetings.*





My two favourite games of the year (by many a fathom) are Max Payne 3 and The Walking Dead. Both games have fantastic characters, voice acting and an engaging story (The Walking Dead has my favourite narrative experience in any game I've played, no hyperbole, but that's for another entry.)
Both games are also cross platform and currently contending for numerous 'end of year' awards, whilst also having strong reviews and sales.

Console exclusive games seem a tad archaic, an element of flame wars between Halo and Uncharted, and a crude attempt to steer players towards a console. 
Sony and Microsoft, you can share games, it won't effect sales of your consoles. People will continue to buy them because you're....Sony and Microsoft. Both have huge fanbases and product recognition, and I doubt losing the 'MINE MINE MINE' element bought on by console exclusives will in any way harm sales.



Because why be tarred solely with this shit brush when you can share the mediocrity!



Modern consoles shouldn't try to validate their own existence with console exclusivity, they have enough merit and whimsy wowow zappity dappity to warrant existing in a market that isn't filled with 'YOU CAN'T PLAY THIS. SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT ME NOW' subtle condemnation towards potential buyers.
I want to play The Last Stand. I know a lot of people do. But I very much doubt I'll be able to, regardless of my crudely and abruptly ended reasoning that I've written...just now...up above...see..you didn't imagine it in a nerve pinched fever dream.
I feel like I'm being told off for not buying a certain console, or using one I'm already comfortable with.
Game Developers, stop making exclusives. I implore you in a sub par blog post, something that contains the weight of a zeppelin full of diamonds and boiled sweets.
Except you Nintendo, you're fine. Continue re-hashing your four concepts and ignoring the majority of 18+ year olds who regularly play games and enjoy mature content.
Bleh.